President Donald Trump has selected conservative commentator and Trump Media adviser Katie Zacharia to become White House press secretary, filling a position left vacant after Karoline Leavitt departed the administration in August.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has selected Katie Zacharia, a lawyer, conservative political commentator and senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, to become the next White House press secretary, according to multiple administration officials who confirmed the decision Friday.
The announcement comes approximately six weeks after Karoline Leavitt resigned from the position to spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child. Zacharia was initially reported to have received an offer from the administration, with officials subsequently confirming Trump’s selection. It was not immediately clear whether she had formally accepted the position.
The Associated Press reported Friday that Trump announced Zacharia as his next press secretary through his Truth Social platform. The appointment brings a communications professional with experience in conservative media, Republican politics and the Department of Homeland Security into one of the administration’s most visible positions ahead of the November midterm elections.
Zacharia has served as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group since June. The publicly traded company operates Truth Social, the social media platform frequently used by Trump to announce administration decisions, criticize political opponents and communicate directly with supporters.
Her work with the company followed a brief period at the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, where she served as a spokesperson and senior public affairs official during the tenure of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
According to CNN’s reporting on the selection, Trump consulted several political allies and advisers before making his decision, including Leavitt, whose advice he sought concerning her potential replacement.
Zacharia’s appointment follows an extended period during which the administration operated without a permanent White House press secretary. Her selection is expected to restore a designated official responsible for communicating the president’s priorities, responding to questions from journalists and coordinating the administration’s public messaging.
The Washington Post reported that Zacharia is an attorney and mother of four who has maintained a regular presence on conservative television while working in political communications and legal advisory positions.
Before joining Trump Media, she appeared as a political commentator on Fox News and Newsmax, discussing domestic policy, international affairs, immigration and the administration’s relationship with China.
Her background also includes work with Fix California, a conservative political organization established by Richard Grenell, Trump’s special presidential envoy and former acting director of national intelligence.
Zacharia served as general counsel for the organization, which advocates conservative political engagement and electoral participation in California. Grenell has maintained a longstanding relationship with Trump and has held several senior diplomatic and intelligence positions during his administrations.
The incoming press secretary also has experience in Republican politics dating to the George W. Bush administration.
According to her professional biography, she began working in Washington as an intern for the Republican National Committee in 2006 and subsequently served in the White House Office of Political Affairs during Bush’s second term.
Those positions provided early experience with Republican campaign operations, political communications and the relationship between the White House and the party’s broader organizational structure.
Zacharia later earned undergraduate and law degrees from Pepperdine University in California, where she also held a development position.
Her professional career includes several years in China, where she worked in the legal sector and gained experience with international financial institutions.
According to her employment history, Zacharia lived in Beijing beginning in 2011 and worked at a Chinese law firm that provided outside legal services to international financial organizations.
That experience has become a prominent part of her public commentary on U.S.-China relations.
During a recent appearance on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Zacharia described working in an environment where she believed Chinese government authorities monitored communications and restricted political discussion.
She said the law firm where she worked served as an “outside counsel” for international financial institutions and discussed her experiences with Chinese government censorship and surveillance.
Zacharia has subsequently emerged as a critic of the Chinese Communist Party, frequently raising concerns about Beijing’s influence in the United States, the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in China, and threats to American economic and national security interests.
During the interview, she praised Trump’s approach toward Beijing.
“Trump has been the most decisive president against China,” Zacharia said.
She also described Chinese government activities as a major national security concern, adding, “I don’t think there is a bigger threat to our sovereignty than the clear and present threat of China and what they’re attempting to do in America.”
Her public statements reflect positions she has expressed as a conservative commentator rather than policies announced in her prospective role as White House press secretary.
In 2022, Zacharia also publicly urged Chinese authorities to “free the Uyghurs,” referring to the predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnic population concentrated in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region.
The treatment of Uyghurs has drawn international scrutiny over allegations involving arbitrary detention, restrictions on religious practice, forced labor and other human rights violations.
China has denied accusations of widespread abuses and maintained that its policies in Xinjiang are intended to combat extremism and promote security.
Zacharia’s criticism of Beijing is one component of a broader political profile that has included support for Trump and participation in conservative media discussions.
Her familiarity with television appearances and public messaging could be particularly relevant to the White House press secretary position, which requires frequent interaction with journalists and the ability to explain administration policy under public scrutiny.
The role also involves coordinating information with federal agencies, responding to developing events and communicating decisions involving national security, economic policy and international relations.
The position became vacant Aug. 27, when Leavitt announced that she was leaving the administration after serving as its principal spokesperson since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Leavitt, who became the youngest White House press secretary in American history when she assumed the position at age 27, had previously served as a spokesperson during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Her tenure was characterized by regular exchanges with reporters over administration policies, immigration enforcement, federal spending and disputes between the White House and news organizations.
She also helped implement changes to White House press access, including efforts to give alternative and newer media organizations opportunities to participate in briefings.
Leavitt stepped down after giving birth to her second child earlier this year, citing the demands of the position and her desire to spend more time with her family.
Following her departure, Fox News announced that she would join the network as an on-air contributor beginning Nov. 1.
As The Epoch Times reported on her move to Fox News, Leavitt is expected to provide political analysis and commentary drawing on her experience as Trump’s principal White House spokesperson.
Trump praised Leavitt’s service when she announced her departure and indicated that she would remain an adviser and supporter outside the administration.
Her exit left the White House without a permanent press secretary during a period of significant domestic and international developments.
Although administration officials continued issuing statements and speaking with reporters, formal White House press briefings became less frequent following her departure.
Vice President JD Vance held a news conference Thursday addressing the administration’s efforts to combat visa fraud, providing one example of how senior officials have communicated with journalists during the vacancy.
The absence of a permanent press secretary also coincided with disputes over media access to White House events.
The Trump administration has restricted access for several news organizations, including Politico, CNN and MS NOW, in decisions that have generated legal challenges and criticism from press freedom advocates.
The affected organizations have contested the restrictions, arguing that government officials should not exclude journalists from official events based on editorial coverage or perceived political viewpoints.
The administration has defended its authority to establish press access policies and determine how journalists participate in White House events.
A federal judge is expected to consider whether the restrictions violate constitutional protections or other legal requirements.
Zacharia could inherit those disputes as part of the administration’s communications operation, although the scope of her responsibilities regarding media access has not yet been publicly detailed.
The incoming press secretary will also assume the position during an important period for the administration’s political messaging.
Trump has expressed concern that the White House has not communicated its policy accomplishments effectively enough as Republicans prepare for the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Speaking at an event earlier in October, the president criticized the media’s coverage of his administration and argued that public communication had not kept pace with what he considers its governing achievements.
“Our country has never done better,” Trump said.
“We cannot get the word across because of the fake news, and because of the fact that … we’re doing a great job in running the country, but we’re not doing a good job of public relations.”
Those comments reflected the president’s frustration with the administration’s public presentation at a time when Republicans are defending their congressional majorities.
The press secretary does not direct political campaigns in an official White House capacity, but the position plays an important role in communicating government policies and responding to questions that may affect public perceptions of the administration.
Zacharia’s experience with Trump Media could also shape the White House’s communication strategy.
Truth Social has become a central platform for presidential announcements during Trump’s second term, frequently serving as the first public venue for statements concerning personnel decisions, foreign policy and domestic priorities.
The administration has also relied heavily on interviews, social media videos and appearances by senior officials to communicate with the public outside traditional press briefings.
A press secretary familiar with those formats may be positioned to coordinate communication across conventional news outlets and the administration’s preferred digital platforms.
At the same time, the position carries responsibilities that differ from those of a television commentator or corporate communications adviser.
The White House press secretary speaks on behalf of the federal government and is regularly expected to provide factual information about official policy decisions, clarify statements made by the president and address questions involving multiple executive agencies.
The role also requires maintaining communication with a press corps that includes domestic and international news organizations with widely differing editorial approaches.
Those duties have become increasingly prominent during Trump’s second term as the administration has pursued substantial changes to immigration enforcement, federal employment, international trade and relations with foreign governments.
Zacharia’s brief experience at DHS may provide some familiarity with the communication demands of federal agencies operating under intense public scrutiny.
During her time with the department, immigration enforcement remained one of the administration’s principal policy priorities, with officials regularly responding to questions concerning deportations, border operations and visa enforcement.
Her work with Fix California and Trump Media also placed her within political and communications networks closely associated with the president.
According to CBS News, a White House official confirmed Friday that the administration had offered Zacharia the position, although her formal acceptance had not been established when the initial reports appeared.
Other news organizations subsequently reported that Trump had selected her as Leavitt’s successor. The Associated Press described the president’s Truth Social announcement as confirming the choice.
Zacharia had not issued a detailed public statement outlining her priorities for the job at the time of the initial reports.
Her appointment would make her the second White House press secretary of Trump’s second administration and place her at the center of the administration’s communications operation ahead of the November elections.
The selection brings together her prior government experience, legal training, conservative television appearances and recent work with the president’s media company.
It also ends a search that began after Leavitt departed in August, during which the White House relied on senior officials and other communications personnel to address major policy developments.
The administration has not announced a date for Zacharia’s first formal press briefing.
Her appointment comes as Trump seeks to increase public attention to his administration’s policies and improve its ability to communicate directly with voters, journalists and international audiences.
With the midterm elections approaching, Zacharia will enter the position during a period of heightened scrutiny over the administration’s economic policies, immigration measures, foreign relations and interactions with the news media.
Her selection establishes the next leader of the White House press operation following Leavitt’s departure, while questions about briefing schedules and press access remain among the issues awaiting the new spokesperson.
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